Holmes' sidekick in the smartly imagined new CBS series does not have the first name of John but is named Joan, a woman played by Lucy Liu. Sherlock is British actor Jonny Lee Miller, who says that when he was approached about taking on the iconic character, he thought, "No way."

"Then I read the script and I was very pleasantly surprised about how different it was," says the 39-year-old actor. "I think it's a series made by Americans for Americans. So I felt like there was enough differences."

The show is set in modern-day New York City, where Holmes has been sent by his wealthy father after a stint in rehab, and much to his chagrin — as a condition of continuing monetary support — has been assigned a "sober companion" to watch over him. In this case it is Joan Watson, a onetime surgeon who is escaping her own dark past. Having worked as a consultant for Scotland Yard, the brilliant but unpaid crime solver is brought in by an NYPD detective (Aidan Quinn) to help with a difficult murder case.

Miller's Holmes is a kinder, gentler character and less of a sociopath than often portrayed.

"I find the Sherlock in the books to have a great warmth, and I haven't seen that a lot," Miller says. "That's something I really took from the books, and then we sort of laced that with him struggling with some very serious issues that I think a lot of people out there can relate to. It gives him an edge."

(The actor, who admits not having read the novels before taking the role, highly recommends Conan Doyle's original works.)

"I absolutely don't see him as a sociopath," says Rob Doherty, "Elementary's" showrunner. "I see him as someone who is driven to solve puzzles, to do the right thing, to help people. I really do think, at the end of the day, he believes in justice. It's not just about putting bad guys behind bars."

Earlier this year Miller and Cumberbatch were in Danny Boyle's award-winning London stage production of "Frankenstein," alternating as "the creature." The Oscar-winning director ("Slumdog Millionaire") had cast Miller in his second feature film, 1996's "Trainspotting." (The actor's first feature was "Hackers," where he met his first wife, Angelina Jolie.)

"'Trainspotting' is one of the best experiences I've ever had in making a film, mostly because of Danny," says Miller, adding that being in "Frankenstein" was "my greatest experience onstage."

Miller says he had discussed the role of Holmes with Cumberbatch even before being offered the new series because he was such a fan of "Sherlock." The two, he said, had a "private discussion" about "Elementary." "Benedict has been very, very supportive," he adds, "and I wanted to reassure him about how different this script and project was."

One of the people Miller consulted about taking the role was his good friend Jude Law, who happened to have played Watson in Ritchie's films. Miller says he was thrilled when he heard that Liu would be his Watson.

"I'm a huge fan. We have a similar sense of humor and work ethic, and we just got on from the word go. You just can't account for that," Miller says.

The two certainly display a certain chemistry together in the series, and Liu is quick to point out that her character is not the usual comical sidekick that Watson is often portrayed as. But having a female Watson raises the question: Will there be any romantic sparks between the two? Don't count on it — a least for a while.

Since CBS already has nine other procedurals on the air, one challenge for "Elementary" is to go beyond just solving crimes. The first episode points to that.

"Hopefully, we can scratch that procedural itch and have these more interesting ongoing themes," Miller says.

So is the public ready for another Sherlock? "It's like Robin Hood," Miller says. "There is room, if it's done differently enough."

Maybe drawing inspiration from Conan Doyle's original writings is the new approach needed to make "Elementary" a hit. By the way, Conan Doyle never wrote the famed line "Elementary, my dear Watson." Like Rick in "Casablanca" uttering "Play it again, Sam," it's misremembered.

In one passage in one short story, Conan Doyle did use "elementary" and "my dear Watson" but not together. The phrase may have come from an early stage version, but no one knows for sure.